Christie: If I was president, shutdown would be resolved

First lady of professional wrestling and former Senate contender Linda McMahon introduces New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) during a Oct. 9, 2013, fundraiser for his re-election at her Greenwich home.

For the record, Chris Christie is leaving his political options open.

Unplugged, New Jersey’s Republican governor will tell you that if he was president, the boardwalk in his home state would be the only thing open for business.

The 11-day-old shutdown of the federal government would be a mere memory, Christie boasted to a group of high-rollers Wednesday night at the gated Greenwich compound former GOP Senate contender Linda McMahon and her wrestling impresario husband, Vince McMahon.

The fundraiser for Christie’s re-election campaign as governor, one that has staked him to a 29-point lead in the polls over Democrat Barbara Buono, provided Connecticut Republicans another opportunity to romance the political foe of Constitution State Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

“Even I can’t blow this one,” Christie was said to have told donors about his re-election prospects in the Garden State.

Christie spoke for about 10 minutes, telling the politically-connected gathering of hedge funders, financial services types and wrestling’s first couple that blue states such as Connecticut can heal the suffering of heavy tax burdens by electing Republicans, according to people who listened to his remarks.

While he has publicly sparred with his Connecticut counterpart of taxes, spending and the business climate of the two states, Christie was said to have avoided mentioning Malloy by name and dropping any one-liners.

Among those in attendance for the $3,800-per-person shindig was Tom Foley, who is eying a rematch with Malloy in 2014 after losing by 6,500 votes to him in 2010.